I believe that it's best (and unique) to put the expansion teams in the middle of each round. Teams will be coveting forwards and defenders, to strengthen those areas, since midfielder depth is more of a "dime a dozen" currently in the league. First Round 1.) D - Crystal Dunn (Chicago) (inherited draft pick from Keelin Winters trade) 2.) F - Kealia Ohai (Chicago) 3.) F/MF - Maya Hayes (Washington) 4.) D - Julie Johnston (Boston) 5.) F - Morgan Marlborough (Vancouver) 6.) F - Jonelle Filigno (Toronto) 7.) D - Natasha Anasi (WNY) 8.) MF - Mandy Laddish (FCKC) 9.) F - Katie Stengel (Sky Blue) 10.) GK - Emily Oliver (Portland) Second Round 11.) MF/D - Cloee Colohan (Seattle) 12.) MF - Vanessa DiBernardo (Chicago) 13.) D - Mollie Pathman (Washington) 14.) D - Kassey Kallman (WNY) (inherited pick from Melinda Mercado trade) 15.) GK - Erica Owens (Vancouver) 16.) F/MF - Christabel Oduro (Toronto) 17.) F - Nkem Ezurike (WNY) 18.) F/D - Kim DeCesare (FCKC) 19.) MF - Taylor Schram (Sky Blue) 20.) F/MF/D - Courtney Verloo (Portland) Third Round 21.) F - Laura Weinberg (Seattle) 22.) GK - Aubrey Bledsoe (Chicago) 23.) F - Hayley Brock (Washington) 24.) MF - Kaitlyn Kerr (Boston) 25.) F - Jenna Richardson (Vancouver) 26.) D - Shelina Zadorsky (Toronto) (nickname is "She-Z") 27.) MF - Maegan Kelly (WNY) 28.) GK - Kelsey Wys (FCKC) 29.) D - Marissa Diggs (Sky Blue) 30.) MF - Jenna Richmond (Portland) Fourth Round 31.) MF - Lindsay Elston (Seattle) 32.) D - Haley Palmer (Seattle) (inherited draft pick in Keelin Winters trade) 33.) D - Annie Steinlage (Washington) (transferred to the University of Virginia for senior yr.) 34.) F - Becca Wann (Boston) 35.) MF - Danica Wu (Vancouver) 36.) F - Christine Exeter (Toronto) 37.) F - Rachel Nuzzolese (WNY) 38.) F - Alyssa Diggs (FCKC) 39.) D - Rachel Lenz (Sky Blue) 40.) F- Amanda Frisbie (Portland) *Aly Riley will sign with Portland for 2014. Tina Ellertson will play for Portland next year. (hence why Portland won't draft any defenders, although Verloo can play anywhere on the field)
if this continues to happen in portland, then the league needs to do a +1 rule, where as the rich clubs can take one international outside the cap, given they can prove they have the financial strength to do so or just increase it to 250K. sahlen would sign marta again, schelin or even a delie (she'd probably benefit from a year or two with lines). i wouldn't surprise if washington got the 1 pick, since they got creamed by boston. how long is harris out? i can't remember the reporter, who magicdan ran off, but he was over at equalizer saying, vancouver was a no go. look at it this way, even nike is keeping silent since a contract isn't signed. the commissioner may throw some bone out there, but i highly doubt toronto or vancouver will acknowledge anything publicly until they are ready to roll. for now, they'll pretend they don't even know the league exist.
Use the MLS designated player rule? They can sign a player that doesn't count for the cap. Beckham, Henry are players that were signed like this.
Thanks for making a 2014 thread. I'll just repost mine. I forgot about the Mercado trade so I just kept that pick the same for now. Standings as of May 17.
I don't want to see the league go that route. I like having a salary cap because it promotes fiscal responsibility. Lack of spending controls is a big part of why the last two leagues failed, and I want this one to stick around.
Yes, but raise the salary cap to $250,000, $275,000, or $300,000. I would raise it to $275,000. It keeps it in the $200,000's, but that extra $75,000 would give the $6,000 salary players up to a salary of $10,000 or $12,000. Basically it gives everyone on the team an extra $5,000.
I like your mock draft. It's very realistic. I am hoping there is expansion next year, as it would make the league better, and it would make the draft more interesting. I could see Toronto drafting mostly (or all) Canadian players. Vancouver would go for at least half Canadians as well you would think.
Thanks. I don't see expansion being a sensible decision for next year. The league needs a full season under its belt instead of four months of rushing everything to get ready. The teams and league will use the off season to look at what worked and what didn't and implement that into season 2 and hope that operations run smoother. Then going into season 3, maybe you can look at what cities might make the league better. But that's just me.
Well, we'll see. Expansion will either happen in 2014 or 2015. I think the league could use some expansion, as it gives them momentum, growth, and positive P.R. right off the bat from year 1 to year 2. I'm still stunned at how great this upcoming draft is going to be. There are probably at least 7 or 8 players in this upcoming draft that would be drafted ahead of Bywaters, right now, if Bywaters had graduated her eligibility in this upcoming draft instead of the previous one.
Thanks. I'll have to check out Michelle Pao this year when Pepperdine is on National TV. I haven't had the chance to focus in on her game yet. Pepperdine is on TV against USC on Sept. 13 this year.
A player I'd like to see in the mix is Portland's attacking central mid Ellen Parker. In the many years I've watched Portland play, she's right up there with the best of the passers. But, like Woznuk-Kerr, pretty slight in build. Still, if I'm at a game with my granddaughter, I tell her to watch Ellen if she wants to see someone really good with the ball.
So u have a center mid who plies her trade locally and can really pass the ball. If history is the judge the odds of Parlow taking her r nil.
Nice list...Like DiGiacomo in second round but it wouldnt be off the wall for for Portland to reach for her in the first round, especially if Laddish is gone. Like Oliver going to Portland. Boston may also be looking for a GK if the Mexicans dont want Santiago watching soccer in NWSL. Just not seeing the Chicago thing. If they have to take DiBernardo with the 2nd or 3rd pick theyve done a bad job. Ud think they could swap that pick down as far as #6, still get their girl and add a second pick besides. As to Ohai I cant see them taking Ohai unless they think she is the answer up front. Nothing against Ohai. I love her as a player and her potential but not as the target forward in a 5-1. I see her as a wing in a 4-2 or an outside forward in 3-3. The other problem with Chicago going for Ohai unless they think she starts on top, is they have been down this road before. Last year they used the first pick to take Bywaters to be their scorer and ended up moving her back up the pitch. I'm really not sure they can afford to do the same thing again. I really see them going one of two ways. Take the chance on Hayes who is a forward in this league tho her make-up doesnt impress me or Marlborough if she has a great senior season. Marlborough could be a monster in this league. If KC doesnt get Marlborough btw, they likely go Laddish as she is also a Missouri girl. As to Ohai, I love her falling to WNY at #5. She is the perfect partner for Kerr making them a nightmare for full backs to defend.
Trades Whenever I look at a mock draft I have to think about traded picks. KC - not that they dont already have a great collection of players, but as it currently stands they'll add #6, #10 and #14 out of a really strong class. WASH - Next year Brittany Taylor really needs to justify being traded for the #9 pick in a draft top heavy with forwards. SEATTLE - I get they were trying to save the season and Winters has been a good player for them but the worst case scenario is they made this trade... Winters for A-Rod and their choice of (Ohai/Johnston, Marlborough or Hayes)
what is this nonsense with people having the same last name!!!!! Why is it u can only have so many Canadians but Taylors r running wild over the league!!! Yes...i meant Lindsey.
Addendum If Chicago ends up with A-Rod to balance off the Winter's deal, it takes the pressure off to find a scorer and lets them take a better long term investment like Ohai or Johnston (or maybe yet another Chicago born player??? Yikes!)
Chicago should take DiBernardo with their #3 overall pick. Whoever they take at #2 is up to them. DiBernardo has played for them before, and the locals there are strong DiBernardo fans. The University of Illinois is not horrible with soccer attendance, and you gobble some of that attendance up with DiBernardo on your team. They can risk and try to trade down with FCKC at that #6 spot in the first round, but what if FCKC then takes DiBernardo at #3 (FCKC might go for someone in the Midwest, but they may value Marlborough or Laddish over DiBernardo). Chicago can maybe make an agreement with FCKC. "We'll give you our #3 pick and #19 pick, for your #6 pick and your #10 pick, if you "promise" not to take DiBernardo with that #3 pick". If FCKC says yes to that, and agrees not to draft DiBernardo #3 overall in good faith, then Chicago ends up with the #2, #6, #10, and #11 overall picks in the draft, as it stands now. FCKC would then have the #3, #14, #19, and #30 picks. FCKC is essentially trading their two best picks (#6 and #10, to get the #3 overall pick, to draft a superstar). Chicago would be trading down their #3 pick (while retaining their #2 pick from the Winters trade), and getting FCKC's #6 and #10 pick, while also giving FCKC their #19 pick. If Chicago ends up with the #2, #6, #10, and #11 overall picks, that's 4 of the Top 11 picks in the draft. They can draft Ohai or Johnston at #2 overall, DiBernardo at #6 overall, Laddish or Kallman at #10 overall, and possibly Stengel at #11 overall, or something like that. They can fill lots of needs on their team that way, and would have the most exciting "young" team in the league joining the speedy Bywaters, the Canadian Leon, and a young Quon who are the three current potential star young prospects on their team now. Chicago then retains the older (veteran) players in Boxx, Osborne, and Chalupny, while gaining Tarpley for next season. That Quartet could "lead" the young gang, and get them acclimated toward being the best they can be. And then if Chicago gets A-Rod and/or Whitney Engen next year in allocation, then all the better.
The Washington Spirit have went local, how has that worked out for them? They should take the best player available.
At this point, they should trade Tiffany McCarty for a 2nd round pick. They need to trade her before her trade value lowers even more. She could be out of the league within two years or so, therefore it's time to get something in return. That experiment hasn't worked out. They have Lindsay Taylor for insurance. They have Ochs, they have Caroline Miller, they have Pohlers, and they can always draft a forward, or get an international for next season. McCarty is not working out there. Maybe trade McCarty and Colleen Williams, and a 4th round pick - to Portland - for Weimer, Guess, and a 2nd round pick. Parlow will remember McCarty well in the ACC, and may go for that trade.
Pohlers is only on loan to Washington, and she'll be 35, so it's highly likely she won't be back for the Spirit next season.
There were rumors at one time that Schelin had been in contact with Washington about joining them at some point. Whether that's next year, who knows. Maybe Washington reached out to her at first to gauge interest. But Schelin's season with Lyon (each year) ends around late May or early June. She could still play about 12, 13, or 14 of the 22 NWSL games or so, if she comes over by early to mid June. This is exactly the shot in the arm that Washington would need. If Washington could pull off this coupe, and draft Crystal Dunn, then they instantly become a playoff contender in 2014, provided their record isn't too bad when Schelin arrives. 2014 Roster? F - Schelin, Ochs, Miller, Taylor, McCarty MF - Matheson, Lindsey, Worbis, Huster, Williams, King D - Dunn, Krieger, Chapman, Pressley, Gayle, Toulouse, Garciamendez (next season?) GK - Harris, Jones They could probably use one more piece in the midfield, maybe they get that in the draft, or free agency. Dunn would be an awesome outside back for them, who could push forward and give them more offense.
Schelins people used Washington to leverage a three year contract out of Lyon. KC has a second option if they want to move up in the draft and there would be less risk and no promises. They let Chicago make their picks and if the player they want is still on the board, they can likely get #4 from Boston for Mewis. I noticed today that Emily Oliver is from Illinois as well